Disappearing propeller device



Patented Nov. 7, 1922..

UNITED STATES HENRY R. ASTRIDGE, or TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

DISAPPEARING PROI ELLER DEVICE.

Application filed April 13, 1922. Serial No. 552,330.

T 0 all to ham it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY R. As'rnrnen, ofthe city of Toronto, in the county of York, Province of Ontario. Canada,a subject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Disappearing Propeller Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to devices such as shown and described in UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 1,225,252, of May 8th, 1917.

In this device a casing is provided open at its under side and adaptedto receive and house a propeller and propeller shaft. A motor crankshaft is journalled in one end of the casing, and the propeller shaft isconnected thereto by means of a universal joint. Extending through thesides of the easing is a short rock shaft to which, within the casing,is secured a propeller shaft support having a sliding engagementwith thepropeller shaft.

The propeller shaft is raised and lowered by the oscillation of the rockshaft.

The tendency is, when the boat is running, for the propeller andpropeller shaft to lift, and means must therefore be provided to holdthem down, but such means must not interfere with the movement of theparts when the skeg of the propeller shaft supporting device strikes anobstruction tending to lift it. My object therefore is t devise simple,effective and easily adjustable means for actuating the propellersupporting device and for frictionally retaining it in any desiredposition.

I attain my object by means of the con structions hereinafter describedand illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which I v Fig. 1 is aside elevation, partly in section, of a motor attachment constructed inaccordance with my invention:

Fig. .2' is a side elevation on a larger scale of part of the sameshowing particularly the frictional retaining means for the hand lever;and

Fig. 3 a cross section of these parts on the same scale.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin the different figures.

1 is a casing of the device open at its under side and adapted toreceive the propeller shaft 2 and propeller 3. The crank shaft 4 of themotor extends through the forward end of the casing 1, which is providedwith a suitable stufling box 5. i/Vithin the casing, the crank shaft isconnected to the propeller shaft by means of a universal joint 6. Thepropeller shaft is carried, so that it may be raised or lowered, by thepropeller shaft support 7. This shaft sup port is pivotally supportedwithin the casing by means f the rock shaft 8 hereinafter moreparticularly described. The rearward end of the support carries asuitable bearing 9 for the propeller shaft. Preferably the support 7 isdouble, passing on each side of the propeller shaft, and the bearing 9is hung on a pivot 10 between the two parts of the support. The bearingturns on this pivot as the propeller shaft is raised or lowered, and atthe same time slides longitudinally of the shaft.

At the junction of the two parts of the support 7 an open bearing 11 isformed. which receives the propeller shaft when the latter is in itslowest position.

To protect the propeller I provide the skeg 12 which extends rearwardlyfrom the support 7 below the bearing 11.

The rock shaft 8, it will be noted, extends through openings in theopposite sides of the casing 1, which openings are surrounded by thesmiling boxes 13 and 1 1, the sides of the casing forming the bottoms ofthese boxes. One end of the rock shaft is provided with an enlargement15, preferably integral with the shaft, which forms a gland for thestuffing box 13. The stuffing box l i is provided with a gland 16, whichis adapted to be set up by a nut 17 threaded on the end 18 of the rockshaft. The center 19 of the rock shaft, it will be seen, is squared orotherwise shaped to have a non-rotative engagement with the propellershaft support? and, as the end 18 of the rock shaft is smaller than thissquared portion of the shaft, the rock shaft is readily engaged with thesaid support by pushing it through the latter from left to right, asviewed in Fig. 3, by setting up the nut 17 without producing unduestrainagainst the sides of the casing. To the end 15 of the rock shaft Isecure a brake drum 20. preferably connection is effected by means of acap screw 21, passing through the end of the drum and threaded in theenlarged end 15 of the rock shaft.

Que or more dowels 22, fitting in alined holes n both the end of thedrum and the end of the rock shaft, prevent rotary movement of the drumrelative to the rock shaft.

On the sides of the casing; adjacent the drum, and preferablydiametrically opposite one another. are formed the lugs 23. To one ofthese lugs are secured the ends of the halves 24 of a brake band 31preferably by lane of a bolt 25 extending through the lug and the endsof the brake band. Through the other lug; and the other ends of thehalves of the brake band extends the bolt One end of this is providedwith a wing nut 52. whereby the bolt ma be caused to tighten the brakeband upon the drum to a v extent desired. The other end of the be t hasa cam lever 28 pivoted thereon, which is operable to quickly release thepressure of the brake band whenever desired. in operating handle 29 issecured to the end of the brake drum preferably by means of the capscrew 21, which secures the brake drum to the rock shaft. This operatinghandle or lever is fitted between the lugs 30 formed on'the brake drumwhich thus prevent relative rotation of the handle of the drum.

It is evident that the rock shaft may be actuated. by means of thishandle to throw the propeller shaft up or down, as desired. l /hen thepropeller shaft is down, it may be held down against any normal upwardpressure by suitably tightening the wing nut 27. As only frictionalresistance is opposed to the upward movement of the propeller shaftsupport and propeller, the support is readily pushed up by contact ofthe slreg of the shaft support with an obstruction. To facilitate theraising of the propeller shaft by means of the operating' handle 29, thecam lever 28 may be pulled up and the pres sure of the brake band thusreleased.

llhat ll claim as myinvention is 1. In a motor attachment for beats thecombination of casing open at its under side and adapted to receive andhouse a propeller and propeller shaft; a propeller shaft and propelleradapted to be raised and lowered; a propeller shaft support adapted toise and lower the propeller shaft; a rock shaft journalled in the sidesof the easing, said shaft being adapted to actuate the propeller shaftsupport; a friction drum on one end of said rock shaft; and anadjustable brake band connected with said casing and. engaging saidfriction drum.

2. In a motor attachment for boats, the combination of a casing open atits underside and adapted to receive and house a propeller and propellershaft; a. propeller shaft and propeller adapted to raise and lower thepropeller shaft; a rock shaft journalled in the sides of the casing,said shaft being adapted to actuate the propeller shaft support; afriction drum on one end of said rock shaft; two lugs on said casing atopposite sides of said drum; two half brake bands pivotally connected toone of said lugs; and an adjusting bolt extending through the other lug;and the other ends of said brake band.

3. in a motor attachment for boats, the combination of a casing; open atits underside and adapted to receive and house a propeller and propellershaft; a propeller shaft and propeller adapted to be raised and lowered;a propeller shaft support adapted to raise and lower the propellershaft; a rock shaft journalled in the sides of the casing, said shaftbeing; adapted to actuate the propeller shaft support; a stufling boxformed at each side of the casing through which said shaft passes; afixed gland formed at one end of the rock shaft cooperating with onestuffing box; an adjustable gland for the other stui hnn box carried bythe shaft; a friction drum secured to the end of the shaft formed withthe fixed gland; and an adjustable bralre band connected with saidcasing and (311g: ring said friction drum.

4;. in a motor attachment for beats, the combination of a casing open atits underside and adapted to receive and house a propeller and propellershaft; a propeller shaft and propeller adapted to raise and lower thepropcllci shaft; a rock shaft iournalled in the sides of the casing,said shaft being adapted to actuate the propeller shaft sup port; afriction drum on one end of said roclr shaft; two luo's on said casingat oppo site sides of said d ruin; two half brake bands pivotal-1yconnected to one of said lugs; and an adjusting bolt extending throughthe other lug and the other ends of said brake bands l bolt being;provided with nut at one c and cam lever at the other.

at Toronto. Canada this 7th day HENRY E. ASTRIDGE.

